The Truth Comes Out
by kingdomkeepers365
Summary: What would happen if Ethan had to move away? Emma has a decision to make. Does she work alone, or tell Sutton's friends the truth? Takes place shortly after book three.


I stood there watching Emma having a sleepover with my friends. I stood there and watched as she received a manicure from Charlotte and laughed at Madeline's jokes. I was filled with sorrow. Now that I was dead, I would never again receive a manicure, and I would never again laugh at a joke. All of life's joys had been whisked away from me in an instant all because someone that I played a prank on wanted revenge. I cried as I remembered what it felt like when the nail polish brush slid across my fingernails, and what it felt like to laugh so hard that you couldn't even breathe.

"Did you guys watch Jersey Shore last night?" said Gaby. She talked and tweeted at the same time.

"Ya." said Charlotte. "It was the best episode ever!" Gaby, Lilli, and Madeline nodded in agreement. Emma sat there unsure what to say. Even though she had mastered the art of pretending to be Sutton, she refused to sink so low as to watch Jersey Shore. When Laurel had asked her if she wanted to watch the night before, she lied and said that she had too much homework.

"Too bad I missed it" Emma said. "I had a ton of homework last night.

"Sutton?" said Lilli. "Could you go up to your room and get another pillow?"

"Sure thing" said Emma. She walked up to Sutton's room, and came down a few minutes later with a pillow. She placed it next to Lilli.

"Thanks!" she said. Suddenly, Sutton's phone started ringing. She looked at the caller I.D; Ethan. We both knew that it was stupid to ignore a call from Ethan. It could be something important.

"Excuse me for a second." said Emma. "I have to take this." Emma walked into the room across the hall and answered the call. "Hello?" she said.

"Hi Emma." Ethan said. He sounded depressed. I was concerned. Why did he sound like that? What did it mean?

"Hey Ethan" Emma said.

"Listen, I have some bad news." Emma's eyes grew wide. So did mine. What news could he possibly have that was so bad that he had called her instead of waiting to tell her when he saw her the next day?

"What?" Emma shouted. "What's wrong?"

"Um…" said Ethan. "There's no easy way to say this. My mom just told me that we're moving: tomorrow." Emma broke down in tears. Was this really happening to her? Not only was Ethan her boyfriend, but he was the only person besides Sutton's killer who knew who Emma really was. Emma was fighting back tears.

"I'm coming over in a little while to say goodbye." she said. "Don't try to stop me. I need to see you one last time." Emma was still crying hysterically.

"O.K." said Ethan. "I'll see you then, and hey. It's gonna be okay." Emma hung up the phone. She fell on to her knees and cried her heart out. I was crying too. Poor Emma was all alone once again. Emma saw Madeline come into the room.

"Sutton, are you okay?" Emma looked up and Madeline gasped. Emma's eyes were red, her face was flushed and tears streamed down her cheeks. Madeline locked her into a hug.

"Oh honey! What happened?" It took Emma a few moments to gather herself before she spoke.

"Ethan's moving away." As she said the words, Emma began to sob again. Madeline hugged her tightly again and dragged her into the room where the other girls were waiting. They all saw Emma's tear stained face and immediately ran over. It made me happy to see how much my friends cared about me, or at least the person they thought was me.

"What happened?" asked Charlotte stroking Emma's hair gently. Emma was crying do hard that she couldn't speak. Madeline spoke for her.

"Ethan's moving away." All of the girls brought Emma into a group hug. The twitter twins even put down their phones for a moment to comfort her. Emma continued to sob. My heart was breaking for her. Even though I died before we even met, Emma was still my sister.

"What can we do to help?" asked Charlotte sweetly.

"Well" said Emma. "I could use a ride to Ethan's house. He's leaving tomorrow and I want to see him one last time, but I don't think I could drive in my condition."

"Done!" said Charlotte. A few minutes later, they all arrived at Ethan's house in Charlotte's car.

"Do you want us to come with you?" asked Charlotte.

"No" said Emma. "I'd rather do this alone.

"Okay. We'll wait here. You take all the time you need."

Emma stepped out of Charlotte's car and walked up to Ethan's front door. She rang the doorbell and Ethan opened the door. When she saw him, she burst into tears and fell into his arms. It must have been five minutes that they just stood there like that outside of Ethan's front door, with Emma in Sutton's pajamas crying into his arms.

"I'm just going to miss you so much" she sobbed, tears rushing out of her eyes like a waterfall and staining Ethan's shirt. Ethan lifted her chin up gently and tenderly kissed her on the lips. When they broke apart, Emma just cried for a second and kissed Ethan again. The kiss lasted for thirty seconds, and it was the best kiss that Emma had Emma had ever had. She was happy for a moment and then she remembered that it was the last kiss that they would share.

"Don't worry." said Ethan. "If you ever need me just call and I'll be here in a heartbeat. Emma nodded unable to speak. Then, Ethan's mom called him to come upstairs.

"I gotta go pack" he whispered softly. Again Emma nodded. She still couldn't speak. She was still too full of sorrow. Ethan's hand detached from hers.

"I love you." He whispered. For the first time since they had kissed, Emma was able to speak.

"I love you too." she whispered back. Ethan walked inside and closed the door. Emma walked back to Charlotte's car, crying the whole way.

That night, Emma was lying down in the Mercer's living room next to all of Sutton's friends. It was three thirty AM and everyone was asleep, except for Emma. How could she sleep knowing that she had just lost the boy she loved? That wasn't the only thing that she was thinking about. Emma knew that she needed a new supporter. She couldn't solve the mystery of Sutton's murder alone. The question was, should she tell Sutton's friends the truth? She knew she could trust them, that wasn't the problem. She had already proven each of them innocent. She was worried about how they would handle it.

I was worried too. I wanted my friends to know that I was dead, but who knows what they would think if Emma told them? Would they believe her, and if they did, would they assume that she was the one who had killed Sutton? Never the less, Emma had a decision to make. Emma turned on the lights. All of my friends sat up.

"What the hell Sutton?" said Gaby. She looked at the clock. "It's three thirty. Go to sleep."

"No." said Emma. "We need to talk. And you might as well get used to calling me Sutton."

"What are you talking about?" groaned Madeline. "Please don't tell me you woke us just so you could tell us that you wanted us to call you a nick name."

"No." said Emma. "It's much more important than that. Get comfortable. It's a long story." I was proud of Emma. She had found the strength to tell my friends the truth. I was going to support her through all of it, even if she didn't know I was there.

"Alright" said Charlotte. "But if we're going to do this you at least owe us some snacks."

"Fair enough." said Emma. Five minutes later she returned with five glasses of milk and a pack of Oreos. All of the girls sat up in their sleeping bags and began to eat.

"So what's this all about?" asked Madeline, chewing an Oreo. Emma exhaled slowly.

"I'm not who you think I am. I'm Sutton's twin sister, Emma. And before you say anything, I'm not lying. I know it's difficult, but I'm asking you to trust me. I swear on my life that I'm telling the truth."

I saw the laughter on my friend's faces, but when they noticed how serious Emma looked, their faces became serious as well.

"So then where's Sutton?" asked Madeline.

"Sutton's dead." Tears started to fall down Emma's face. "Someone killed her and I don't know who. That's what I've been trying to find out. One thing I have figured out is that she died on August thirty first."

Tears streamed down every cheek. Emma knew that it must have been hard for Sutton's friends to hear this news.

"So, Sutton never told us about you?" said Charlotte.

"No. We were long lost twins. Our birth mother abandoned her before me, so we never knew each other. I've been growing up in foster care since I was seven. At my last foster house, my foster brother Travis was constantly trying to get me in trouble. He found a video of you guys online pretending to strangle Emma. Both he and my foster mother assumed that it was me, and kicked me out. I found Sutton on face book and sent her a message. She sent one back telling me to come to Tuscon. When I came, you guys swept me off to Nisha's party assuming I was her. The next day, I got a message that Sutton was dead and that I better keep playing along or I was going to be next. Then I realized that Sutton's killer was the one who sent me that message. Ethan was the only one besides Sutton's killer who knew who I was. He was the only person that I had to help me solve the mystery, and now he's gone. I need your help to find out who killed Sutton, and to prove their guilt."

Tears were streaming down everyone's faces. Madeline was hugging Charlotte and Gaby and Lilli were holding hands.

"Well." said Madeline. "It's nice to meet you Emma."

"Here's the thing." said Emma. "You can't tell anyone."

"Not even Laurel?"

"No; Especially not Laurel."

"Why not?"

"Because right now Laurel is my number one suspect." All of the girls gasped. They sat in silence for a moment.

"So." Emma said. "Will you help me?"

"Yes." said Gaby and Lilli at the same time.

"Definitely" cried Charlotte. Emma looked at Madeline.

"I'm in." she said. "I'm going to get justice for my best friend, and nothing can stop me."


End file.
